Stew Leonard: My Story

by Stew Leonard, Scotty Reiss

Stew Leonard's success in building a unique retail business has made him among the most revered entrepreneurs in the world. Guinness Book of World Records cites Stew Leonard's as the food store in the United States with the greatest sales per unit area. Ripley's Believe It Or Not! identified Stew Leonard's as the world's largest dairy store. Those milestones were achieved because of the passion and loyalty of his customers, 100,000 of whom visit his flagship store each week. Forbes, the New York Times, People, CNN, 20/20, and Tom Peters' PBS series A Passion for Excellence have all praised Stew for his business and creative genius. He received the Presidential Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence from President Ronald Reagan and was named on of the 'Visionaries Who Transformed Food Retailing' by Supermarket News. Fortune ranks Stew Leonard's as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. In this memoir, Stew Leonard tells the story of his relentless search for and unwavering commitment to excellence, explaining how the store's dedication to customer service, its reputation for fresh-from-the-farm products, and its renowned and entertaining retail environment came about. Stew also writes of his own personal setbacks and tragedies, from the struggles of building his business from nothing to the death of his twenty-one-month-old grandson and the disastrous decisions that led to a forty-two month sentence in a federal prison camp. Through it all he shares the hard-won wisdom, strength, and insights he gained from his experiences. The story of Stew Leonard's is more than Stew's story. It is the tale of one man's business that grew into a family corporation with multiple stores managed by long-time employees and three generations of the Leonard family. Stew details how each of his four children found an outlet for their own passions within the family business, and how the family came up with a plan to guarantee that future Leonard generations will continue the Stew Leonard's traditions.

244 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Chris Merola · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fascinating read, due to everything that isn't said.

Stew doesn't tell us much about his relationship with his children, or his wife. Rather, everything in his life is mediated through his self-titled company, whose modus operandi is explored throughout the book to an informative, if repetitious degree. The formula is simple - Stew reads a business book, implements what he learned into his business, then his business grows, and he meets the author of the book/gets to speak at a conference related to the book.

That is 60% of the structure of this book. The rest is a discussion of how his entire extended family, children, and grandchildren ended up working for his business. Then there's a brief "oh, stupid me" diatribe about his stint in prison, but I get the feeling Stew's self accounting is woefully underexplored here.

There is something deliciously cultlike sitting beneath the surface of this book - no wonder Disney is Stew's ideal business model.

I really enjoyed my read, as Stew is the perfect embodiment of the entrepreneurial toxic positivity that I've known intimately in my own life.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight to the trials and tribulations of Stews life and business. Well written easy quick read.
Very interesting life, I’m glad I read it!
Will recommend.

[Brenda Testerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast read. I go to the Newington store on occasion and enjoy the experience. Appears the philosophy established over time is a strong foundation. Kids make the walk through the single aisle concept an uplifting shopping experience.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this and sped right through it. He is a great entrepreneur and I was inspired by the lessons he shares in the book such as taking care of customers and workers. It has been a while since I have shopped in his store but I look forward to stopping in again. I recalled that he had some legal problems and wondered how the book would deal with that topic.He tackled it head-on.
If you in business and interested in improving your operation, then read this book.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should be required reading for anyone who shopped or shops at his stores, and anyone who lives in Connecticut.

The Stew Leonard's in Danbury, CT was my FAVORITE place to go as a little kid.

Stew Leonard changed the face of grocery shopping hands down. This book explains the method to his madness, and really why shopping at his stores is so awesome.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of Connecticut's heroes! Now Bob Kaufman needs to write a memoir too.

[Christine McCloud · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good to read how the store came to be and to learn about the story behind Stew's prison time. Though Stew seems to have a proverb (not sure if that's the right word) for everything. Plus the book jumps around in places & I have to ask myself, "now who is this person?" Also, I think having a bibliography at the end would be a plus, since Stew was such an avid reader of leadership & business books.

[Tab Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably enjoyed this more than most because we shopped at the original Stew Leonard's for 2 years.

The book is written in the quirky and fun format that embodies his store. I'm glad he addressed the fraud, his grandson's death, and the rift between his son Stew and Tom, who launched his own store in Virginia.

Overall, a fun and quick read. Hard to appreciate it unless you have visited one of the stores. Even so, I was still blown away by the stats.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have followed Stew Leonard for many years so was very pleased to get and read this book which filled in a few gaps in my knowledge. Stew Leonard's extraordinary success comes from listening to customers and acting on their suggestions. This book shows how that has played out over the years and gives great insights into the legendary Stew Leonard's customer service philosophy and values. A good read and an inspiring story.

[Christy Donahue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. In addition to learning a lot about Stew Leonard, he shares with the reader the ways in which he became so successful and also recommends other books.

[Michael Strange · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story and great place to shop